Beat yourself up that you didn't charge your catering client more for enduring the last 3 hours

I hate the feeling of driving home at noon--a car full of groceries, a sleepy child or children--and thinking, "The next hour is going to seem like a year." Lunch, getting kids down to naps, putting food away. The witching hour. But Loretta fell asleep in the car and I put her to bed without lunch.

Nirvana. Now, no boiling water for Top Ramen or picking up flung rice. A quiet lunch by myself.

And this is what I had. Despite the chaos, you know I'd been deliberating for at least an hour--what to do with the chicken. Quesadillas? Panini? Fried rice? I settled on salad, seeing as my lettuces are no longer baby and I must eat salad every meal for the next 3 months in order to justify all the greens in my veggie patch.

I left groceries in boxes and bags, opened the laptop to check for your comments, and savored every bite. My salad and your comments. I know you won't believe me, but this took me five minutes to prepare. I promise.

Herb Salad with Rotisserie Chickenserves one cranky (but about to be blissed-out) mother

Go pick some adolescent arugula, assorted lettuces, basil, mint, and oregano from your garden (or buy some assortment of them). Tenderly rinse and dry. Toss everything but the oregano together on a plate. You can leave the basil and mint whole. Cut a small tomato into wedges, crumble a bit of feta, and dice half an avocado. Arrange these with some chunks of rotisserie chicken on top of your herbs and greens. For dressing, whisk the juice of 1/2 small lemon with salt, a handful of chopped fresh oregano, and 2 Tb. of olive oil. Pour over the top and sprinkle a little zaatar, since you're putting it on everything this week. Quietly ooh and aah so as not to wake sleeping children.